Pencils of Promise

Adam Braun, founder of Pencils of Promise, asked this question to dozens of children, each from different countries all over the world. The answers:

To dance. A book. Magic.

One answer from a boy in India stood out the most. A pencil.

From that moment on Braun began to hand out pencils to children he met on his travels. This simple act sparked an idea that would grow into a for-purpose organization providing children in the developing world access to a quality education.

photo by Nick Onken

In 2008, Braun opened a new bank account, depositing just $25 with the hope of one day building a school in honor of his grandmother. In the time since then, Braun & Pencils of Promise have built over 360 schools and educated 33,000+ students in Asia, Africa, & South America. PoP programs also focus on training teachers & promoting good hygiene & sanitation. Equally as impressive is the fact that 100% of PoP’s schools remain fully operational & educating students daily.

Very few things empower an individual the way education does. Six years ago, I experienced first-hand the lack of educational opportunities available to those in developing countries. My husband & I spent the summer in Ghana, Africa finalizing the adoption of our then seven-year-old son. We returned home as a family of three with a new perspective on life. We began researching how to start a non-profit, but quickly shifted gears when we realized how many amazing organizations already existed. Rather than 'reinvent the wheel' or make a one-time donation to a charity, we decided to invest our money into starting a socially conscious business that would create a reoccurring cash flow to support existing non-profits.

In the years that followed, we adopted again; this time a six-year-old boy from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Both of our boys had no prior educational training. In fact, my three year old niece had a greater educational foundation than both boys combined. Naturally, this experience influenced us to seek out organizations that were focused on increasing access to education for children in the developing world. So, in 2012, when we launched (c)3 Wines, it was with organizations like Pencils of Promise in mind.

As (c)3's featured charity, PoP will receive 100% of the profits from each bottle of wine purchased. We encourage you to share a bottle of (c)3 with others, & to use it as a talking piece for Pencils of Promise & the incredible work they are doing!

You can find many other ways to get involved with PoP on their website HERE. The PoP annual Gala is just a few weeks away (October 26). You can purchase tickets to the event, which features special performances by Wiz Khalifa and Nico & Vinz, HERE.

If you want to know more about Adam Braun & his journey to start Pencils of Promise, you can read about it in his book, The Promise of a Pencil.